The chapter on "Health Care" is not specific to Maine Coons and is also a bit dated, for instance in its treatment of Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP). There is actually a vaccine for this disease now, although the extent of protection provided by it is debatable.

An important omission in this book is a discussion of hereditary defects known to occasionally occur in Maine Coons. These include hip dysplasia, patellar luxation, cardiomyopathy and white-linked deafness. Two of my six Maine Coons have slight heart murmurs, and the vet informs me that the older of the two will have to start taking heart medication within the year.

Bass presents good, general purpose information on feeding, caring for, and breeding cats. There are detailed instructions on how to construct a queening box, which we followed, although matters didn't quite work out according to the book. Our queen ignored the box and had her litter under our bedspread.

One final quibble concerns Bass's photograph of a Maine Coon trying to use a litter box that was meant for smaller cats. His hindquarters and tail are hanging over the edge of the box, which negates the purpose of the whole thing, since deposits tend to end up on the floor. We learned this lesson the hard way, and now have super-sized boxes for our super-sized cats.